From the Ground Up
by cowardly-lioness
Summary: After Jessica leaves, Harvey works to rebuild the firm. Starting with attempting to become managing partner. Donna has his back, but what if the stress of keeping Specter Litt afloat is the final straw for them? Will Harvey finally find out what type of lawyer he'd be without her? Or will she promise not to leave him this time? Appearances from Mike, Louis, Rach, Gretchen and Ben


It had been two weeks since Jessica had left, officially. She had told Harvey and Louis that she was leaving a month ago but had stayed at the firm for 3 weeks to help them hire a few junior and senior partners. They were nothing special. Not from Harvard and not especially talented but their billables were decent and they'd managed to bring a few clients with them. Louis had managed to convince Katrina to leave Zane by promising her Junior Partnership. She had agreed after negotiating a raise too. The firm was now at a measly total of 8 lawyers. Harvey and Louis. Four senior partners. Katrina, and one other junior partner. Thankfully they still had their IT and administrative staff: Benjamin, Gretchen and of course, Donna. Not to mention Rachel, who was juggling her associate work with her paralegal work now that school was over and they needed both a paralegal and an associate.

Harvey was working on a case for one of his few remaining clients. Louis was out trying to score a new one. Donna was pondering the future of the firm as she made photocopies. As soon as she was done she headed straight for Harvey's office, dropped the papers off on his desk and brought up the thing that was on everyone's minds.

"So, what are you going to do about the whole 'need a Managing Partner' thing?"

"Donna, it's too soon. Jessica just left."

"It's not too soon. You just don't want to think about it because you miss her."

"I'm not ten. I've moved on."

"Moving on and missing someone are two different things. They're not mutually exclusive you know."

Harvey gave her a look.

"Fine. But you know I'm right. Something is going to come up that needs approval from the managing partner and guess what? As much as I know you don't want to be managing partner, I know that you don't want Louis to be either."

"So what's your solution?"

"Grow a pair and become managing partner."

"That's your solution? 'Grow a pair'?

"Is that going to be hard for you?" Donna raised an eyebrow to emphasize her point.

"Please you and I both –"

"Just do it."

"Do I have to?"

Then Harvey and Donna both noticed Mike, who was standing just outside Harvey's office.

As she walked away, Donna finished the conversation with: "It's that or Louis. Think about it!"

Donna held the door open for Mike as she left. They smiled at each other. She hadn't seen him much since he'd gotten out of prison and had missed him.

"Mike, how can I help you? Please don't tell me you did something that you need a lawyer for already."

Mike gave Harvey an unimpressed look and went to stand in front of his desk.

At Mike's lack of response, Harvey continued, "Too soon?"

"Ha ha. Very funny. I'm here about the job offer you gave me."

"And?"

"And I realized I missed the law so much that I tried to practice while in prison. I can't really see myself doing anything else."

"Good! Glad to have you back."

"Glad to be back."

"Oh. Shit."

"What? Need me to help you figure out how to draft the contract?"

"Please I've been drafting contracts since you were a child. Scratch that, you're still a child. A smaller child."

"'A smaller child'? That's the best you can do? Seriously, what's going on?"

"Jessica left."

"Yeah I heard. What? Rachel still works here."

"Well she had approved of hiring you back as a consultant but she's no longer here so… whoever is the next managing partner needs to actually sign off on it."

"Whoever? Isn't that… you?"

"Don-", Harvey starts to call out but Donna is already halfway through the door.

"You want me to call a partner's meeting to vote you in as managing partner?"

"Yes. Looks like me taking the job will be for the best."

As she left, they could both make out her glib "Glad to hear you've grown a pair."

As both watched Donna leave, Mike started, "Speaking of growing a pair," (as he turns to face Harvey, who is still watching Donna) "when are you finally going to-"

Harvey gave Mike a dirty enough look to shut him up.

"Alright so, I'll just be leaving now. Give me a call when I can come work here, Mr. Managing Partner."

"Will do. As soon as you stop saying things like 'Mr. Managing Partner'."

On his way out, Mike mumbled, "Done."

Ten minutes later Donna came back in, sat down on couch and crossed her legs. Harvey was reading in the chair across from the couch.

"So. What's our strategy?"

"What strategy?"

"For the partner's meeting. To get them to vote you in?"

"Like I said, what strategy? No one in their right mind would vote Louis in. He's psycho."

"And you hired a fraud. And punched Louis. And threw Sutter's case which lost the firm all their clients and all the previous employees."

"Ok, ok. I get it. Jeez. You sure know how to make a guy feel good about himself."

"Please, you know you're the handsomest screw up in the whole firm." Donna batted her eyelashes at him flirtatiously.

Harvey chuckled and shook his head. "And the –"

"- best closer in this goddamn city. We know." Donna said, as she rolled her eyes.


End file.
